This is a zine dedicated to black metal written by a follower of the left hand path, This zine has been around in a different format for a while and I have decided to make an edition for www.blogger.com, for more information email occultblackmetalzine@yahoo.com, new albums as well as classic albums will be reviewed on here as long as their good quality black metal,

Friday, July 31, 2015

Exquisite Ending are a band from the United Kingdom that has been featured before in this zine and plays a very raw and misanthropic form of black metal and this is a review of their 2015 ep "The Rires Of Misanthropism: Psalm V -IX" which will be released in October by Hibernacula Records.

A very dark and ritualistic sound starts off the ep along with some spoken word parts before going into more of a heavy and melodic style of black metal along with some grim screams and when the music speeds up a great amount of blast beats are utilized and at time s they music also brings in a small amount of deep growls.

All of the songs bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts and most of the songs are rooted in the second wave 90's style of black metal and they also mix the spoken word parts in with the heavier sections of the music and all of the tracks avoid using any solos and leads to focus on more of a raw and melodic style of black metal.

Exquisite Ending creates another recording that remains true to the raw and misanthropic style of black metal from the previous recording as well as continuing the concept that was present on the last ep, the production sound s very raw and heavy while the lyrics cover misanthropic, depressive, hatred and occultism themes.

In my opinion this is another great sounding recording from Exquisite Ending and if you are a fan of raw and melodic occult black metal, you should check out this ep. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Banishment Of Noble Coercion" and "Unbound Bloodletting Of The Orthodox". 8 out of 10.

Thursday, July 30, 2015

Blliigghhtted are a solo project from Turkey that has been featured before in this zine and plays an raw and satnic form of black metal and this is a review of his 2015 album "No Temple" which was released by Merdumgiriz.

Drum beats start off the album along with some heavy guitars and grim black metal vocals a few seconds later and the riffs also bring in a raw style of the genre along with a small amount of melody and when the music speeds up a great amount of blast beats are utilized and the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts.

A great amount of old school black metal elements can be heard throughout the recording and when solos and leads are utilized they remain true to a black metal style and some of the vocals bring in a small amount of melodic chanting and some tracks also bring in elements of sludge and doom metal.and the y also bring in a few instrumentals and the last track is very long and epic in length and is an ambient track.

Blliigghhtted goes for more of a raw style of black metal this time saving all the ambient elements for the last track while the slower sections bring in a touch of sludge and doom metal, the production sounds very dark and raw while the lyrics cover philosophical, chaos and occult themes.

In my opinion this is another great sounding recording from Blliigghhtted and if you are a fan of raw and old school black metal, you should check out this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Chaos Serpents order" "Lucifer's Eyes" "Slithering Thoughts" and "Voyage". 8 out of 10.

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

1.For those that have never heard of you before can you tell us a little bit about your solo project?First: Thank you very much for the Interview! FEANOR OMEGA is a solo project from Austria, the first album (ANIMA) consists of songs which have accompanied me for many years. That's how it all started - I always loved to write and record songs for my other projects - at one point I wrote the 'title track' for the album (Epos: Anima) and immediately knew - I had to record an album.

2.Your album came out in May, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?I would describe the sound as 'hard to describe' - but foremost as 'honest'. The album is self-recorded, therefore the sound represents my very own ability and that's the way I like it for a solo-project.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you explore with your music?I'd say that music has always been my most fluent language - therefore the album simply states what I am not able to put into words.

Without planning, the album has actually evolved into a concept-album. In my opinion the songs can as well stand for their own, but I think the album has its best effect when the listener goes on the journey to listen to it as a whole. In this regard the album is very similar to life. One song might punch you to the ground where the next song might help you up, only that the following track can hit you again ;-)

4.You use the name 'Feanor Omega' for the solo project and also other bands that you are a part off, is there a particular meaning for this name?I think the addressed fact might lead to confusion! 'Feanor Omega' is simply my personal synonym as a musician, that is also the reason the solo project is called 'Feanor Omega'. I used 'Omega' for a very long time but decided to add 'Feanor' in 2010 or 2011. Feanor derived from J.R.R. Tolkien's character 'Fëanor' (THE SILMARILLION), one of the most polarising and infamous characters and a personality who's story and destiny have always fascinated me.

5.While there were other musicians involved you did record a lot of the material by yourself, how would you compare working solo to being in a whole band?I think that it differs completely. Recording solo does give you the agency of doing exactly what you want to do (...or at least like you're able to do it), where a whole band works (or should work) as a team. I like both and I would never want to miss any of it. Still, I tend to turn solo-recording sessions into small personal rituals. I see them as recreation as well as self-therapy. Furthermore, the recording sessions with my valued guests have been very unique, productive and satisfying.

6.On the album you had a few guests, can you tell us a little bit more about them and their contributions to the recording?Sure! ANIMA features 4 guest appearances.All bass tracks were played by MIKE HELL. We composed and recorded the bass tracks together in some extremely productive sessions. I once stated that it seems that no one of us is able to have any kind of project where the other one is not involved. This still proofs to be correct. Mike also swings his bass at DISASTROUS MURMUR and GROTESKH who I manage with CURSED RECORDS as well as SAKRILEG and TONGUELESS CUNTKILLER, where we hit the stage together.

THOMAS contributed deep growls to the song RISEN. He is the man behind TONGUELESS CUNTKILLER, where Mike and I also play. It's not a black metal project, but a collective group of friends enjoying extreme music.

RICH who wrote and played the solo on RISEN was also passively involved in the project. He is a passionate sound engineer and had the tough job of mixing and mastering the whole album. Furthermore, we collaborate at many of my venues (EINE IN TEICH FESTIVAL or WINTERSCHLACHT) and he also plays guitar at the Austrian progressive metal band THYTOPIA.

MORBID FLORIST, who added the female vocals to the chorus of EPOS: ANIMA, is my sister. She also played in SAKRILEG and has an incredible talent for music of all sorts in my opinion.

7.When this is considered a solo project you had a whole band listed on facebook, is that done for more of a live setting?I think we have a misunderstanding here. The whole band listed simply states all the guest appearances and their roles in the album. There are no live-gigs planned for 'Feanor Omega' at the moment, even though I don't exclude that thought and also have various ideas when the time comes.

8.You also run Cursed Records, can you tell us a little bit more about the bands that you promote on this label?The principles of CURSED RECORDS have stayed very much the same since the beginning in 2011: support underground music. We are not specified on a specific genre - we promote honesty and passion. We recently signed the insane GROTESKH - their second album "CODE: END" was released shortly after ANIMA.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your musical projects by fans of black metal?That's a good question and in my opinion hard to answer. I think the feedback is polarising. Some like it, some don't and many have probably never heard of it - which is fine too ;-) maybe they will at some point!

10.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that you are a part off?NEBELFRONT released their second album "ONLY IN MY DREAMS" earlier this year. I had the honour to contribute some guitars and backing vocals to the release. Furthermore, I am the live-singer of the project. It has been very silent around my main (and first) project SAKRILEG in the last year, but since the completion of ANIMA we've been working on new material again and will also resume to play live. The first show will be in the end of August in Upper Austria (Headbanger's Desaster). Let's just say, there will be some sick shit coming up!

11.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?I hope I can continue to do what I love for as long as possible. This statement counts for the active side as well as the passive side. I love to record music and to tour around the globe with bands, but I also love the passive aspects like managing bands, organizing concerts and of course CURSED RECORDS as a whole.

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?I can honestly state that the people that I worked and played with have influenced me the most. I think nothing's more valuable for musicians than jamming among familiar faces.Regarding the question what I listen to today: music. I never turned away from my roots, black metal, but the older I get the less I care for genres. In my opinion music has to reach and touch the deepest parts of your soul. If it manages to do so, I don't care as what it might be labeled.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?I love travelling even though most of my travel activity occurred BECAUSE of music. One more reason why I love what I do. I like to gather different influences, wherever I go.

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?Thank you very much for the interview and for your support! Your review was the first review the album ANIMA received - thank you for that as well! Final words.. support underground music! People, go to concerts, buy albums and merchandise from bands you like! Support your local scenes!

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Sar Nath are a solo project from Texas that has been featured before in this zine and plays a psychotic form of black metal and this is a review of his 2015 ep "Epilogue Eternal" which was released by Merdumgiriz.

Melodic and depressive sounding guitar leads start off the ep along with some grim black metal vocals and screams a few seconds later which also leads up to some crazy sounding programmed drum beats and the riffs also use a decent amount of melody and a couple of the tracks are also very long and epic in length.

A lot of the screams are in a high pitched direction and when the music speeds up it brings in more of a raw black metal style and the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts along with some of the slower sections also incorporating elements of doom metal and the music also brings in a trace of the depressive style at times along with some influences of the early 2000's black metal style and there is also a brief use of spoken word parts and the ep closes with a harsh noise outro.

Sar Nath focuses more on a guitar orientated style of black metal this time around creating a recording that is very grim, raw and depressive sounding, the production sounds very dark and raw while the lyrics cover ghosts, demons, mental illness and private hells.

In my opinion this is another great sounding recording from Sar Nath and if you are a fan of psychotic black metal, you should check out this ep. RECOMMENDED TRACK "From Life To Soulrot". 8 out of 10.

Justabeli are a band from Brazil that plays a mixture of black, death and war metal and this is a review of their 2015 album "Cause The War Never Ends" which was released by Black Lion Productions.

Air raid sirens and war sounds start off the album before the music goes into a fast war/black metal direction that also brings in a good mixture of high pitched screams and death metal growls and all of the musical instruments have a very powerful sound to them and the faster sections also bring in a great amount of blast beats.

Throughout the recording you can hear a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts and some of the tracks also bring in elements of Swedish style melodic black metal and some of the more slow or mid paced drum beats have a militant feeling to them while some of the guitar riffs are also heavily influenced by early 90's death metal and there is also a brief use of spoken word samples, clean playing and melodic guitar leads present on the recording as well as a few seconds of clean singing.

Justabeli plays a style of war metal that also mixes in with a raw and melodic style of black metal as well as mixing in a good amount of death metal elements to create a sound of their own, the production sounds very raw and heavy while the lyrics cover war, torture, terror and Satanism themes.

In my opinion Justabeli are a very great sounding mixture of war, black and death metal and if you are a fan of those musical genres, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Soldiers Of Satan" "Infected By Radiation" "We Are The Elite" and "Satan's Whores". 8 out of 10.

Monday, July 27, 2015

1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?

- hails, we are now in a break for a while just to concentrate on our current release and will enter the studio composing and recording for our next release next month. it might take sometime tho but we r not in a rush. Also looking forward for our show and tour.

2.In May you had released a demo, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

- To be honest, we dont consider it a demo. its an album actually. it might be mistakenly edited in our metal archives page. its a 6 tracks with proper recordings all together. but it was dub-tape release and not pro-tape. well yeah, the demo vibe is there. hehehehe. for CD version, we add another 2 tracks making it 8 tracks alltogether.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

- Mostly occultism, dark religious matter, and yes, pure hatred.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Blasphmachine'?

- aahh, we describe us as a machine that always rants about blasphemous anthem lyricwise. a blasphemous machine. so, its Blasphmachine.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?

- maybe our last tour with Shambles (thailand) and Savage Deity (thailand). we met lots of old friends and bands such as mighty Impiety, Orator (bangladesh), Sandesh of Cyclopean Eye Prod, Infernal Execrator (sg) and the legendary Abhorer. last destination of the tour was singapore and we had great time with everybody. we talk and drinks till idnight. the beach side resort was awesome as hell. thanx to Mike Priest of Blood Division (sg) !! For our performance, we just be ourselves. as always, when revenge turns to hatred, hells break loose.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

- Yes, we do have a show this coming august supporting Necrowretch (france). and looking forward for our small tour this coming january with the argentinian maniacs, Infernal Curse !!!

7.With this demo you had Misanthropic Generation Media release it on cassette and Dunkelheit Produktionen are re-releasing it in August, do you feel these labels have been very helpful when it comes to getting your music out there heard?

- At first we approach lots of labels to help us release this album. a few interested. Misanthropic Generation Media was the first to reply and interested to release it on dubtape. there are some deals that are cancelled but thanx to Bernd of Dunkelheit Prod for trusting us by releasing our album on CD. we also have a deal with Analog Ammunition Records for releasing it on pro-tape but its still on pressing level. yeah, both labels are very helpful. great professionalism, giving their best to promote this and always updates us with all pressing info and promotions. its an honour for us to be under such respective labels !!

8.Recently you have done a 'Black Witchery' cover, what was the decision behind doing your own version of one of their songs?

- Black Witchery is one of our major influence and we really wants to honour them by covering their songs. we sometimes play 'Into Damnation Eternal' while in the studio and one of friends suggest that we should cover it.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black, death and war metal?

yeah, we got lots of feedbacks internationally. we received lots of emails asking about our old demo, promo and such. some of them just want to get in touch and mostly talks about how they like our release. we got many offers for a split release from bands. its great !!

10.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part off?

- we all came from different bands. our drummer also doing sessions for some metal bands. i myself and our guitarist was also from a different death metal band. we dont limit our members to persue their own agenda as long as we consider Blasphmachine is the most important.

11.When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

- We are now on composing period and will be on recording period in august. some tracks has a complete arragement already. just wait and see. We have always been progressive with our release. Arrangements and soundwise. Expect some aggressiveness on our next release.

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

- we r influenced by lots of war/black death bands in the veins of Blasphemy, Black Witchery, Archgoat, Proclamation, Revenge and others. The mood and atmosphere really affect us in our music. We listen to everything. we dont limit ourselves. but mostly black / death metal. Exequy, Genocide Shrines, Bolzer and the new Archgoat album is my current playlist now.

13.How would you describe your views on Occultism?

- Only those who understand the true meaning of Occultism can relate and dwells with the hidden source of power. We Blasphmachine do take it seriously, trying to potray it to other feeble mind and acknowledge it from our perspective in our lyrics.

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

- Thanx to you for this excellent interviews. Hails to all that has supported us ever since. Our debut full length, Salvation, is out now through Dunkelheit Produktionen and Misanthropic Generation Media. Infernal hails always !!!

Sunday, July 26, 2015

Har are a band from Israel that plays a mixture of black and death metal and this is a review of their self released 2014 ep "Baal Ha'ov".

Drone sounds start off the ep and after a minute the music goes for a very fast and raw style of black metal along with a great amount of blast beats and grim vocals and the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts and the band also brings in elements of brutal death metal into their musical style.

High pitched screams can be heard in some parts of the songs and while the sound is very modern you can hear a lot of 90's black and death metal influences in the songs and the riffs also bring in melodies at times and all of the musical instruments have a very powerful sound to them and there is also a brief use of demonic chanting and melodic guitar leads.

Har plays a musical style that takes a very raw and traditional style of black metal and mixes it in with elements of death metal to create a sound of their own, the production has a very raw and heavy sound while the lyrics cover dark, horror and occult themes.

In my opinion Har are a very great sounding raw mixture of black and death metal and if you are a fan of those musical genres, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Forgotten Mother" and "Necromancer". 8 out of 10.

Inoccvltatten are a solo project from Brazil that plays a very raw and necro form of black metal and this is a review of his 2014 ep "The Grimwater Rehearsals" which was originally released in 2014 and re-issued in 2015 by Ater Lunae Templi.

A very dark and ritualistic sound starts off the ep along with some grim black metal vocals and raw guitar riffs that are mixed down low in the mix giving the music more of a primitive and necro feeling and the songs are also very heavily rooted in the 90's second wave style of the genre.

A lot of the fast riffs use a great amount of tremolo picking and you can also hear touches of noise and ambient in some of the tracks but done with more of a guitar sound and there is also a cover of Katharsis's "666" and the ep also closes with a 10 minute long track.

Inoccvltatten plays a style of black metal that is very raw, necro and lo-fi sounding while also being very ritualistic at times and also creating a different form of black metal, the production sounds very dark, raw and lo-fi while the lyrics cover Occultism themes.

In my opinion Inoccvltatten are a very great sounding raw, necro and lo-fi black metal project and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this ep. RECOMMENDED TRACK "666". 8 out of 10.

Saturday, July 25, 2015

Human Serpent are a band from Greece that has been featured before in this zine and plays a raw and misanthropic form of black metal and this is a review of their 2015 album 'Inhumane Minimalism" which was released by Self Mutilation Services.

A very fast and raw black metal sound starts off the album along with a decent amount of blast beats and high pitched screams and the vocals also get very deep at times and the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts the solos and leads bring in more of a modern style of black metal.

A lot of the fast tremolo picking riffs bring in a 90's style of black metal and there is also a small amount of melody being used at times and there is also a brief use of spoken word parts and whispers on one of the tracks and the vocals at times also bring in depressive elements and the whole album avoids using any solos and leads to focus more on a very raw and misanthropic style of black metal.

Human Serpent creates another black metal album that remains true to the raw and misanthropic style of previous recordings, the production sounds very raw and heavy while the lyrics cover misanthropy, nihilism and anti christian themes.

In my opinion this is another great sounding recording from Human Serpent and if you are a fan of this band, you should enjoy this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "The World In Coffins" "Starving Void Upon Earth" "Funeral Grimness' and "Mother Of Depression". 8 out of 10.

Friday, July 24, 2015

Funeral Art are a solo project from Guatemala that plays an instrumental mixture of ambient black metal and funeral doom and this is a review of his self released 2015 ep "Orenyall".

Ambient style keyboards start off the ep giving the music a very atmospheric feeling along with a variety of many different keys along with a tragic feeling and the songs at times also bring in elements of neo-classical and when drum beats are added onto the recoridng they also give the songs more of militant feeling.

All of the songs on the recording avoid using any lyrics and vocals and when guitars are finally brought in the music they are only used in a slow fashion that also gives the music more of a funeral doom metal feeling which is also mixed in with a more depressive style of black metal and there is also a brief use of saxophones being utilized along with some of the tracks being very long and epic in length and when the music speeds up a small amount of blast beats are added onto the recording.

Funeral Art plays a musical style that takes an instrumental style of dark ambient and mixes it in with depressive black metal and funeral doom to create a sound of his own and the production also sounds very powerful for being a self released recording.

In my opinion Funeral Art are a very great sounding instrumental mixture of ambient black metal and funeral doom and if you are a fan of those musical genres, you should check out this solo project. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Orenyallo" and "Funeral Art". 8 out of 10.

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

Kyy: We have known each other with some of the band members for a long time. We share same ideologies and also have similar musical taste. After having some conversations on what we really would like to do, we decided to found Kyy around the beginning 2013.

2.In August you have an ep coming out, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

Kyy: The musical sound is like a legless, armless& limbless hunter that strikes suddenly without warning to its prey and its venom goes straight to your soul.

3.The band has been around since 2013 but waited 2 years to release any music, can you tell us a little bit more about the first couple of years?

Kyy: We had the songs ready as demo versions back in 2013 which are going to be on debut EP. Before recording a decent release, we decided to gather a full line-up and rehearse the songs and become a real band. After finding a second guitarist and a bass guitarist, we decided to record the EP.

4.Your lyrics cover Satanism and Left Hand Path themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these subjects?

Kyy: With all respect to to your question, Satanism and Left Hand Path are more than interest for us.

5.I know that the bands name means 'viper' in Finnish, how does this name fit in with the musical style you play?

Kyy: If you look at different civizilations all over the world, snakes have always been symbolically and literally important in their cultures and folklore. I would like people to use their imagination and have their own understanding of this when they listen to our releases and read our lyrics.

6.Your have your first live show coming up in August, what should fans expect once you hit the stage?

Kyy: They will be able to witness and feel our intense energy.

7.The ep is going to be released by Saturnal Records, how did you get in contact with this label?

Kyy: We have known people from the label for some years and when we were ready with the mastering of the EP, we decided to send it straight to Saturnal Records. The reaction was very satisfactory and they offered a good deal for the EP. But most important thing for us was to work with individuals who share same ideologies.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal?

Kyy: So far, so good. To be honest, we are very satisfied with our music. Of course what other people think also count but it is very crucial to underline that we are playing the music we love, that’s more important than anything else for us.

9.Are any of the band members also involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?

Kyy: There are band members who are involved in different black / death metal bands from Finland. But with all respect to your question, we do not see it relevant to talk about our other bands for the time being.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

Kyy: We are strictly committed to the roots and doctrine of Black Metal. This will continue In the future.

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Kyy: Since our young ages everyone in the band has been fed with Black Metal scene’s great years of of 80s and 90s. They still have great influence on our music and we still listen to them. Additionally, we follow the bands that have a mission or purpose, ambition and meaning nowadays.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Architect Of Disease are a band from Poland that plays a very progressive and melodic form of black metal and this is a review of their 2013 album "Open the hearts" which was released by The End Of Time Records.

A very distorted, raw and melodic black metal sound starts off the album along with some grim vocals and all of the musical instruments have a very powerful sound to them and some of the riffs also bring in a touch of doom metal and the solos and leads that are utilized demonstrate a great amount of melody, talent and skill.

A couple of the tracks are long and epic in length and when the music speeds up the songs start bringing in more of a raw black metal style along with a decent amount of blast beats and the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts and some of the riffs also bring more of a progressive feeling to the recording while the songs are also in more of a modern black metal direction.

Architect Of Disease plays a style of black metal that can be raw at times while also modern, melodic and progressive at the same time, the production sounds very powerful while the lyrics cover dark and philosophical themes.

In my opinion Architect Of Disease are a very great sounding progressive black metal band and if you are a fan of t his musical genre, you should check out this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Leviathan Prayer" "Without Divine Intervention" and "Devour The Sun". 8 out of 10.

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Serpent Seed are a band from Poland that plays black metal with a touch of death metal and this is a review of their 2014 album "Debris Of Faith" which was released by The End Of Time Records.

A very dark, heavy and melodic sound starts off the album and all of the musical instruments have a very powerful sound to them and after awhile vocals that are in between death and black metal are added into the music along with a few high pitched screams being used at times and when the music speeds up a great amount of blast beats are used.

When solos and leads are utilized they are in a very dark and melodic musical direction and the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts and the music also brings in more of an early to mid 2000's style of black metal at times and some of the riffs also bring in elements of thrash and some of the fast riffs also bring in more of a raw style of black metal while some of the heavier riffs bring in death metal influences and one track also brings in a brief use of spoken word parts.

Serpent Seed plays a style of black metal that is very dark and heavy and also mixes in elements of death metal to make their music stand out a bit more, the production sounds very professional while the lyrics cover dark, occult and blasphemous themes.

In my opinion Serpent Seed are a very great sounding mixture of black and death metal and if you are a fan of those musical genres, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Demon's Blade" "I Spit On Your Cross" and "Unholy Trinity". 8 out of 10.

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Blasphmachine are a band from Malaysia that plays a raw mixture of black, death and war metal and this is a review of their 2015 album "Salvation" which was released by Dunkelheit Produktionen.

Ritualistic sound effects start off the album before adding in drum beats which also leads up to more of a heavy war metal direction along with some vocals and bestial growls and the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts and the faster sections of the songs also bring in a great amount of blast beats.

Spoken word parts can be heard in certain sections of the recording and the songs also bring in elements of black and death metal as well as having a musical style that is very heavily rooted in the mid 90's to early 2000's era of war metal and some of the riffs also incorporate a decent amount of morbid sounding melodies and they close the album with a cover of Black Witchery's "Into Damnation Eternal".

Blaspmachine plays a style of black/war metal that is very fast, raw and aggressive and also brings in a touch of death metal, the production sounds very dark and raw while the lyrics cover Anti Christianity, Blasphemy, Occultism and War themes.

In my opinion Blasphmachine are a very great sounding mixture of war, black and death metal and if you are a fan of those musical genres, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Temple Of Desolation" "The Beast Among Men" and "Leviathan". 8 out of 10.

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?

After the recording of Lucifer Corpus Edimus between 2013-2014 and its release in October of 2014, Noche Eterna has been working on its second album, and also a split album collaborating with other Ecuadorian legions; both productions will be released by mid-late 2015.

2.In October you had released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

The first demo didn't come out as raw as anticipated due to money issues and studio availability; instead, Lucifer Corpus Edimus contains a raw and more putrid sound, which undeniably projects the evil and hatred we expected in the production of this piece.

3.The current album was the first material to be released in 5 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?

We did couple of live rituals, worked in the making and recording of the Lucifer Corpus Edimus, a member of the band split apart for personal reasons, so we decided to continue Noche Eterna as a two piece band.

4.The lyrics on the new album cover a good amount of Satanic, Luciferian and Occult topics, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the dark arts?

We follow the dark path, so as for our lyrics, they must evoke the obscure ideas and ideals of Noche Eterna.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Noche Eterna'?

Noche Eterna is spanish for Eternal Night; an metaphor for the Evil Master’s kingdom.

6.The band originally was a trio but now is reduced down to a duo, are you open to letting other musicians into the fold again during the future?

We created Noche Eterna as an extension of the obscurity and knowledge within ourselves as members of this pact, it should be continued and maintained that way. We are not looking for an additional member, but possibilities are open.

7.Originally the band was from Ecuador but now resides in Florida, what was the decision behind the move?

We are all from Ecuador, and we came to the States through different life circumstances. The band initiated in Florida after our common ideals were materialized as Noche Eterna.

8.Has the band done any live shows or is this strictly a studio project?

We did a couple of live rituals in the past, but currently we have stayed as a studio project.

9.The new album was released on Chivo Negro Productions, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

Chivo Negro Productions is an independent underground metal label located in the Andean region of Ecuador. The label is focused in the production and distribution of limited edition black metal albums including the works of legions such as Black Angel, Moloch, Masturbación Cristiana among others.

10.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal?

We have received respectable feedback from Portuguese, Bolivian, and Colombian legions on the “Reino de Guerra y Muerte” and “Lucifer Corpus Edimus” albums.

11.Are any of the band members also involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?

No

12.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

So far with the upcoming release of the album titled Mille Anni Tenebrarum, we are fully satisfied with the music composition and sound quality that we have achieved. The album projects crude and annihilating guitars, fast paced drums combined with demonic blends of hateful dual vocals.

13.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

There are no specific bands to be named as influences, but in general : first and second wave of black metal, darkness, war, hate, death, and the Horned King.

Lately listening to a lot to Sarcofago, and Cryfemal.

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Monday, July 20, 2015

Australia's Hybrid Nightmares have returned with a new recording that continues their progressive mixture of black and extreme metal and this is a review of their self released 2015 ep "The third Age".

Wind sounds start off the ep before going into more of a heavy musical direction along with some high pitched screams and melodic guitar leads that are also a very huge part of t he recording and also mix in elements of technical death metal and some of the riffs also bring in a touch of thrash metal.

All of the musical instruments on the recording have a very powerful sound to them and clean playing can also be heard in certain sections of the recording and they also give the songs more of a progressive feeling while some of the riffs also bring in a decent amount of melody and all of the tracks stick mostly to a slow or mid paced musical direction while the music does speed up briefly and also adds in a small amount of semi blast beats and the last track also brings in more of a raw black metal style along with a brief use of spoken word parts and acoustic guitars.

Hybrid Nightmares continues the mixture of progressive and extreme metal from previous recordings and also keeps the black metal vocals of previous recordings while also adding new elements to their musical style, the production sounds very professional for being a self released recording while the lyrics cover stories, absurdism, war and battle.

In my opinion this is another great sounding recording from Hybrid Nightmares and if you are a fan of progressive black metal, you should check out this ep. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "The Purge" and "The Obelisk". 8 out of 10.

Saturday, July 18, 2015

Morbid Slaughter are a band from Peru that has been featured in this zine and plays a raw mixture of black and thrash metal with a touch of punk and this is a review of their 2015 album "A Filthy Orgy Of Horror And Death" which will be released in September as a joint effort by Boris Records and Inti Records.

A very dark and heavy thrash metal sound starts off the album along with some blast beats and grim black metal screams and the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts along with the faster sections bringing in a raw feeling and the music is perfectly balanced between first and second wave black metal.

When solos and leads are utilized they remain true to an old school style of metal and the songs also bring in a great amount of punk elements and some of the tracks also bring in back up gang shouts and all of the musical instruments have a very powerful sound to them and the whole album remains true to a very heavy musical sound.

Morbid Slaughter continue the mixture of black metal, thrash and punk that was present on the previous recording and also takes an old school style and makes it sound modern again, the production sounds very powerful while the lyrics cover sexual carnage, necrolust and brutality.

In my opinion this is another great sounding recording from Morbid Slaughter and if you are a fan of raw blackened thrash metal, you should check out this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Cannibal Butcher" "Fuck Off (We Murder)" and "Slay With Steel". 8 out of 10.

Friday, July 17, 2015

Netherlands's solo project Gnaw Their Tongues have returned with a new recording that continues his mixture of black metal, experimental, noise and industrial and this is a review of his 2015 album "Abyss of Longing Throats" which will be released in August by Crucial Blast.

A very dark sounding drone starts off the album along with some distorted guitar riffing which also leads to grim and high pitched black metal screams being added onto the recording that also have a very depressive tone them at times and the music also brings in atmospheric elements along with a great portion of the tracks being very long and epic in length.

Demonic growls can be heard at times and when synths are utilized they make the songs more dark and experimental and the music also brings in industrial, noise and avant garde elements and you can also hear all of the musical instruments that are present on the recording and when the music speeds up a great amount of blast beats are added onto the album.

The songs also keep the doom metal influences that where a huge part of the previous recordings and some of the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts along with the faster sections bringing in more of a raw black metal style and there is also a brief use of spoken word samples present on the recording while later tracks also bring in elements of classical music.

Gnaw Their Tongues continue the experimental style of black and doom metal that was present on recent recordings while also creating more longer songs this time around, the production sounds very dark and heavy while the lyrics cover dark and blasphemous themes.

In my opinion this is another great sounding recording from Gnaw Their Tongues and if you are a fan of this musical project, you should enjoy this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Lick The Poison From The Cave Walls" :"From The Black Mouth Of Spite" and "And They Will Be Cast Out In Utter Darkness". 8 out of 10.

Thursday, July 16, 2015

Illness are an international band that has been featured before in this zine with members from both Poland and Norway that play a schizophrenic form of black metal and this is a review of their 2015 ep "Trmma" which was released as a joint effort by both Black Plague Records and Metallic Media.

A Chopin classical piece starts off the ep and after the intro militant drum beats, melodic guitar leads and a heavier sound are added onto the recording and you can also hear the sounds of human torture in the background which also leads to more of a raw, fast and aggressive black metal direction that also uses grim screams and programmed drum beats.

Drum beats on the recording gives the musi9c more of an industrial feeling while the guitar riffing brings in an old school Norwegian style black metal style but done with a touch of the Polish style and the songs also bring in a small use of spoken word samples along with some of the riffing utilizing a great amount of melody and they also bring in a cover of Mysticum's "The Kingdom Come" before closing the ep with 2 original tracks which also bring in a small amount of atmospheric synths which also bring in more classical music elements.

Illness plays a style of black metal on this recording that can be very heavy and raw at times while also adding in atmospheric, industrial and classical music elements to create a very original sounding recording, the production sounds very dark and raw while the lyrics are written in Polish and cover paranoia, illness. darkness and misanthropy themes.

In my opinion this is another great sounding recording from Illness and if you are a fan of black metal that goes for a schizophrenic style, you should check out this ep. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Trumma" and "Cranium". 8 out of 10.

Cepheide are a band from France that has been featured before in this zine and plays an atmospheric form of black metal and this is a review of their self released 2015 ep "Respire".

A very dark and melodic guitar lead starts off the ep along with some atmospheric elements and after a couple of minutes drums are added into the music which also leads up to more of a fast and raw black metal style that uses a great amount of blast beats and depressive screams and both of the tracks are very long and epic in length.

Throughout the recording you can hear a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts and the band also brings in elements of cascadian and post black metal and there are also some guitar riffs that bring in a small amount of melody along with a brief use of clean playing and when synths are utilized they enhance the atmospheric elements that are present on the recording and the last track starts out in an ambient direction before making a return back to more of a raw and atmospheric style of black metal.

Cepheide continue the modern style of atmospheric black metal that they had establish on the previous recording and create 2 very diverse and epic tracks that combine atmospheric, post and cascadian black metal together while another song goes for an ambient style of the genre, the production sounds very dark and heavy while the lyrics are written in French and cover dark themes.

In my opinion this is another great sounding recording from Cepheide and if you are a fan of atmospheric black metal, you should check out the ep. RECOMMENDED TRACK "I Le Souffle Brulant de I'llmmacule". 8 out of 10.

Gloam are a band from California that has been featured before in this zine and plays a dark mixture of black and doom metal and this is a review of t heir 2015 album "Hex Of Nine Heads" which will be released on cassette on July 25th by Caligari Records.

the album starts out silently before adding in wind sounds along with some acoustic guitar playing a few seconds later and after the intro the music starts going into more of a heavy and melodic musical direction and after awhile growls and black metal screams are added into the music and they also bring in a very grim sounding atmosphere.

When solos and leads are utilized they are very dark, depressive and melodic sounding adding in a touch of early 90's doom/death metal and a great portion of the tracks a re very long and epic in length and the music also speeds up at times and also adds in a decent amount of blast beats and the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts.

Some of the faster sections bring in more of a raw black metal feeling and there are also some solos and leads that have more of a modern and progressive black metal style to them and the vocals also bring in depressive elements at times and all of the musical instruments have a very powerful sound to them and they also bring in an instrumental before returning back to vocal tracks and they close the album with a classical guitar outro.

With this recording Gloam takes a very modern and atmospheric style of black metal and makes it more guitar based than most band s of that genre as well as mixing in a heavy dose of doom metal elements to create a recording that is very dark and heavy sounding, the production sounds very dark, raw and heavy while the lyrics cover death, magic, sorrow and hatred.

In my opinion this is another great sounding recording from Gloam and if you are a fan of black and doom metal, you should check out this cassette. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Where Freezing Winds Forever Blow" "Execration Trance" and "Hex Of Nine Heads'. 8 out of 10.

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

Vindkast is a project that has existed in various forms for some time now, from studio project to full band and vice versa. However, until roughly two years ago, the circumstances for recording and releasing an album have somehow never been right.

2.In May you had released an album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

The music on Archaic Collapse could be described as black metal with a strong hint to ambient and drone music. Atmosphere played a key role in the songwriting as well as creating a coherent soundscape that would run throughout the whole album.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

The lyrical concept of the album is layered, however there are common metaphors and themes on every level of interpretation such as the process of overcoming, death and rebirth, the primal myth. These concepts can be interpreted on personal and spiritual levels. They can also simply be seen as observations of the coherencies in this world and the consequences that one could draw from them.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Vindkast'?

Vindkast means gust of wind in Norwegian and was chosen to reflect the sense that the music should evoke in the listener before any of the lyrical concepts of the album were developed. So there is no significant relation between the lyrics and the name. However, I find the name still to be very fitting to the sound and mood of the music.

5.Has the band done any live shows or is this strictly a studio project?

For now, Vindkast remains a studio project, but arrangements have already been made for it to transform into a band and to perform live sooner or later. Time will tell.

6.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

The album will be released by the German label Urtod Void on tape later this year. Also, a self-released CD version is currently in production and will be available directly from the band sometime soon.

7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of ambient and atmospheric black metal?

The feedback to the album has been great so far, a lot of people seem to enjoy the atmosphere of the album and cherish the work that has been put into it. Sure, the following of Vindkast is comparatively small, but you can't blame people when there is so much quality music out there.

8.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?

I am working on new released with both my apocaplyptic folk band Death Of Abel as well as my industrial noise project Blood Vault, one of them likely to be released later this year. Besides that, there are a couple of other things I am working on with different people at the moment, some of which will be unveiled fairly soon.

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

There will definitely be a shift in the sound of Vindkast from ambient to a more full-on black metal vibe. The writing process for a new EP has almost been completed, and it already shows a lot of tendencies towards relentless blasts and beastly cold riffing.

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

To name all the bands and artists that have had an influence on the music of Vindkast would probably take up a page or two, but bands such as Paysage D'hiver, Ulver, Krallice, Furia, Altar Of Plagues and Wolves In The Throne Room have, among others, definitely played a significant role in the development of this project. Currently I am listening to the debut albums of Wiegedood, Kjeld and Nahtrunar a lot. As far as I'm concerned, all three are probably among the best black metal releases of the past couple of years, but then again, one easily loses track of all the good releases out there. Nonetheless, highly recommended on my part!

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Besides the occasional hike, I am interested a lot in films, literature and politics. However, most of my thoughts do revolve around music or end up in it.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Thank you a lot for you interest, time and patience! And to anyone who enjoys the music of Vindkast, feel free to share if you think it is worth it!

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?

-Audeath: We have been very busy trying to get the album in time for our show with Aversion, Hollow and SETH(France) in our hometown.. I get the Cds 1 day before our show! Lots of stress and work but finally the mission was successful! Was a great show and party!

2.In June you had released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

-Audeath: We tried to capture the essence of what we are at the moment! Through all the process, from recording,mixing to mastering always focusing on the sound of the player.. In a raw attitude like Gorgoroth King's Era... People who know me will know in the first few seconds that this is me picking on those strings that way... The fury and unique drumming groove of Julius are real drum beats played by a real human with real dark energy to unleash... Not an edited, feeling-less over-compressed linear loop of samples that all sounds the same... We capture real human performance.. The bass presence of Morhatous is a big part of the sound too.. I think too many Black Metal bands don't cares about bass, for us it is a big part of the essence and energy! This is where reside power and darkness! The new stuff is the natural evolution of our first album 2000AD..

3.The band has been around since 2000 but waited until 2009 to release a demo and 2013 to release a full length, can you tell us a little bit more about the gap in between releases?

-Audeath: In the beginning, that was hard to get a stable line-up for doing shows and albums.. Being far in the north, far from any big city.. Its hard to find people in the same mood sharing a compatible philosophy. In 2004, I join Cryptik Howling as a bassist! Black Empire was on the ice for maybe 2 years.. We had some shits in our life acting like poison in our veins... Black Empire is our way to survive this chaotic existence.. Our rage is the Spark which naturally returned the flame in our soul.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?

-Audeath: Some specific elements like Death, War, fire and ice always have been driving us, inspiring us and pushing us... The subjects are about the real fails and weakness of human race... The fact that nobody cares about History, our leader are just marionettes, master in the art of manipulation. The people is enslaved to a ridiculous point, I cannot imagine how a system of slavery could be more productive, controlled and effective.. The funniest fact, the slaves don't even know they are used... This is what the lyrics are about! We fight for real freedom, humanity will face a wall very soon and its like no one consider mistakes of the past... We need to stop acting like we do or existence will just worth nothing in the end.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Black Empire'?

-Audeath: When we found that band name 15 years ago, we were inspired by the same actual thing that inspire us right now! Nothing has changed, this world is still a theater of misery... For me, Black Empire represent the black world we are living in, the blackness behind every civilizations, religions, dynasties, countries, companies.. All civilization becomes dust! All empire are black... Black Empire represent everything I need for inspiration.

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

-Audeath: The Messe des Morts 2.5 in Montreal with Nargaroth was amazing for us! The release of the new album 3 weeks ago with Seth was also a very memorable one! But, in my heart, the most epic stage experience for me was to be a part of the last performance of Eclipse Eternal... They become very good friends over years of touring, the fact they absolutely wanted us on the bill for their last show ever, means a lot for us!

On the stage you can feel the exact same raw essence we focus in the studio! We are old school and intense, the more important is the unique energy of me, Julius and Morhatous together... Our music is simple so its easy to catch for first listeners... We are headbangers! We hold the flag of black metal as true descendant of the 2nd wave...

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new release?

-Audeath: Yes! Some dates are not official yet so I can't talk about the tour.. We'll play in our area and few main city here in Canada... We are working on shows/festival outside Canada but those thing take time and money! This is not for 2015 but this is what we try to plans right now! Most of our supporters comes from other country and this is something we are aware of.

8.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

-Audeath: Actually, I don't feel the need of a label.. We record in my garage and sound like we want to... We print all our shirt ourself in my basement and its useful for special models or keeping the merch inventory up to date.. We do self promotions and its going very well for now... Of course the idea to add a team in the works with more tools and visibility catch my attentions, but the offers we get are far... far away from our needs.. I have more interest into booking agency right now!

9.Are any of the band members also involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?

-Audeath: Yes, I am recording the next Cryptik Howling album right now and I am also doing some shows with Abitabyss!( Rural death metal ). Morhatous is playing in a band called Sarkazm.. I am involved in many other studio project that would be too long to explain & talk about...

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

-Audeath: We don't make the same thing twice, I think the evolution will be natural. The next album will be more dynamic and old school with more primal riff and beats. The new stuff we are already working on is a concentrate of Black Empire, more pure, evil and dark.. We can feel a war, you will be able to feel it too... through the songs and visual of we are actually in the works.

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

-Audeath: We are black metal music fans! We tolerate lots of metal styles but we prefer black and old death metal to anything else.. Band that had the biggest influence on us are: Dissection, Marduk, Satyricon, Mayhem, A canorous Quintet, Immortal, Dark Funeral and Gorgoroth... Recently, band like Watain, Angantyr, Make a change, Kill yourself, Satanic Warmaster and God seeds makes us fist the god of wind multiple times...

12.How would you describe your views on Satanism and Occultism?

-Audeath: Satan is the name of my dog... We are interested in spiritual essence.. Satan and God, Heaven and Hell, they don't exist like you and me... We use them for what they represent as good and evil... We praise the North!! If there is to be a omniscient giant kind of living entity somewhere, It is the Earth itself... If you get out of your noisy city to connect with the remains of nature still alive and open your eyes, you'll see your planet saying: HELP!

Our view about Occultism or Spirituality are too complex to explain in few words.. We reflect the dark face of Man! We don't play the game of ''Who is the more evil''... In that case, George Bush, Steve Jobs and Justin Bieber are way more evil than anyone else.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

-Audeath: We are working on lots of stuff coming soon! We invite all your readers to visit us on any of those platforms.. Keep working for the metal scene! you rock! Thx for the interview!

Skialykon are a solo project from Italy that plays an atmospheric form of black metal and this is a review of his 2015 "Vesigio" which will be released on July 24th by Naturmacht Productions.

A very dark and atmospheric ambient synth sound starts off the album and after the intro the music remains atmospheric while also adding in more of a heavy and melodic sound along with soem grim and high pitched screams and a great portion of t he tracks a re also very long and epic in length.

Clean signing and chanting can also be heard in certain sections of the recording and when solos and leads are utilized they remain true to a modern and melodic style of atmospheric black metal and some of the grim also have a depressive feeling to them at times and all of the musicla instruments have a powerful sound to them.

Spoken word parts are brought onto the recording in some songs as the album progresses and when acoustic guitars are utilized they bring elements of folk music onto the recording and some of the tracks also bring in the sounds of nature and all of the tracks stick to either a slow or mid paced musical direction while there is also a brief use of blast beats and fast playing and the album closes with an instrumental.

Skialykon creates a style of ambient black metal that is very modern, melodic and atmospheric while also having more of a guitar driven sound and some structures that where more common with some of the mid 90's epic black metal bands, the production sounds very dark, raw and heavy while the lyrics are written in Italian and cover paganism, old beliefs and representations of nature.

In my opinion Skialykon are a very great sounding atmospheric, ambient black metal project and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Suanator Celeste" "Skotadi" and "Katharsis". 8 out of 10.

Monday, July 13, 2015

Noche Eterna are a band from Ecuador that plays a very raw and satanic form of black metal and this is a review of their 2014 album "Lucifer Corpus Edimus" which was released by Chivo Negro Productions.

A very raw black metal sound starts off the album along with some grim screams and blast beats and the music is very heavily rooted in the 90's second wave style and the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts and all of the musical instruments have a very powerful sound to them.

Clean playing can be heard in certain sections of the recording and some of the riffs also bring in a small amount of melodies and the faster sections bring in a great amount of tremolo picking and when solos and leads they are melodic and remain true to an old school style of black metal and a couple of song also bring in a small amount of spoken word parts which also gives the music more of a ritualistic feeling as well as a brief use of evil sounding keyboards while the main focus remains more on a raw and old school style of black metal.

Noche Eterna plays a style of satanic black metal that is very heavily rooted in the 90's second wave style and avoids any modern sound to create an album that takes the genre back to its roots, the production sounds very raw and old school while the lyrics are written in Spanish and cover Satanism, Luciferian, Left Hand Path and Blasphemous themes.

In my opinion Noche Eterna are a very great sounding raw and satanic black metal band and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Dominio Infernal" "Ave Satanas" and "Azazel". 8 out of 10.